How long is the average race horse's career?

Question

is realistic to think big brown can just try again next year?

Answer 1

A good race horse will usually go to stud before it's a 12-year-old.

Answer 2

Big Brown should certainly be able to race next year, to answer one part of your question.  He will be 4 then, and really just entering his prime as an athlete.  He will be elligible for all sorts of prestigious races, but not for the Triple Crown.  Those races are written for three year olds only.  So, though he will be able to continue his racing career, he won't be able to try and win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont.  Whether he races or not will be up to fate on the one hand--hopefully he won't have any kind of career ending or, God forbid, life threatening injury between now and then--and his owners on the other.  Right now, given his undefeated record and the way he won those big races, he could enter a very profitable career at stud and the connections  will be very tempted to do that as soon as possible.  He should stick around long enough to race in the Breeders Cup in the fall.

It's hard to say what the average length of a racing career is.  Horses that win prestigious races and are intact tend to race until they are four or five.  Gelded horses tend to run much longer.  It is not unheard of to see a 12 year old gelding racing, and occasionally they will run past that.  It seems like six or seven would be about average, but nine to twelve is not at all uncommon.

Answer 3

Race horse careers are usually pretty short 2-5 years

Answer 4

Rarely, if ever, will a horse get more than one chance at a big race. A good horse runs for three or four years before being retired to stud. The geldings and lower-end horses run much longer, until they are worn out and sold as meat or re-training projects for other sports.

Answer 5

3to4 years, john henry raced and one big races at 7.